Door chime



C. G. RINKER Oct. 21, 1958 DOOR CHIME Filed Sept. 25-, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Carl 6. Rin/rer INVENTOR.

C. G. RINKER Oct. 21, 1958 DOOR CHIME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25, 1957 Fig.3

Carl 6. Rinker INVENTOR. gnaw/32.... only. 3%

DOOR CHIME Carl G. Rinlrer, Swainsboro, Gm, assignor to Liberty Bell Manufacturing Company, Inc., Swarnsboro, Ga., acorporation Application September 25, 1957, Serial No. 686,095

7 Claims. (Cl. 116-141) This invention relates to door chimes and more particularly to a door chime which does not employ electrical current and which is adapted to emit two pleasing tones upon depression and release of its actuating member.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of a door chime which is capable of being operated by any suitable actuation mechanism and which will give a pleasing combination of tones upon actuation.

A further object of the invention is to produce a signal upon actuation yet upon release to provide another signal not requiring any electrical circuits.

, Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of a door chime that is of extremely simple construction and capable of being utilized with doors of various widths and material.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this door chime, preferred embodiments of which have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of the door chime comprising the present invention shown mounted on a door;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional detail view as taken along the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional detail view taken along the plane of line 33 of Figure 2 illustrating the construction of the door chime on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of the door chir'ne;.

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the front portion of a door and the actuating means for the door chime;

Figure 6 is a sectional detail view illustrating the modified form of the door chime employing a rotary actuator;

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view as taken along the plane of line 77 of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the actuating mechanism shown mounted on the portion of a door.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar States atent parts throughout the various views, with initial attention I directed to the embodiment of the invention as is shown in Figures 1 through 5 reference numeral 10 generally designates a door on which the door chime comprising the present invention is adapted to be installed. The door 10 may be of any suitable or desired thickness and construction, the door shown being of a wooden construction having a suitable aperture 12 therethrough. By means of screws as at 14, a plate 16 serves to mount a push button actuator 18 which has threadedly secured thereto an operating rod 20. A fitting 22 is disposed in the aperture 12 and a spring 24 normally engages the fitting 22 and the push button 18 to urge the push button to its initial position.

On the other side of the door there is secured by means of screws 26 a base 28. The base 28 is provided with an opening 30 therethrough into which the actuating rod 20 extends. A mounting plate 32 is provided with four legs as indicated at 34, 36, 38 and 40, see Figure 2 which extends through slots in the base 28 and serves to support the mounting plate 32 in spaced relationship with respect to the base 28.

The mounting plate 32 and the base 28 are provided with a pair of aligned notches as at 42 and 44 therethrough into which the lug-like portions 46 and 48 of a toggle 50 extends, the toggle being provided with the cam surface 52 engageable by the rod 20 for pivoting the toggle with the shape of the notches 42 and 44 forming stops for limiting the movement of the toggle 50. A coil spring 54 is terminally secured as at 56 to the toggle 50 and to the base 28 as at 58. By means of the lug-like portions 62 and 64 which seat in notches 66 and 68 in the mounting plate 32 and base 28 respectively, an inverted substantially J-shaped striker assembly 70 is pivoted to the mounting plate and the base. The striker assembly includes a striker mount 74 having a pair of striker elements 76 and 78 carried thereby with the striker assembly having a lug 79 engaged by a coil spring mounted thereon which is also engaged about a similar lug 82 on the toggle 50. Thus, the striker assembly 70 will be caused to move upon suitable movement of the toggle 50.

Pairs of lugs 83, 84, 86, and 88 are afiixed to the base 28 and carry grommets 90, 92, 94 and 96 forming the resilient mounting for tone bars 100 and 102 disposed on either side of the striker assembly 70.

The chime is operated from the face of the door by depressing the push button 18. The push button 18 in turn drives the operating rod 20 causing the toggle 50 to pivot. This causes the striker assembly to strike bar 102 upon release of the push button 18 the striker arm will be caused by action of the spring 54 to return and strike the bar 100. The sound emitted by the bars 100 and 102 is resonated by a cover and resonated through suitable openings such as indicated 112 disposed on opposite sides of the cover. base by the. construction of the cover which is 'provided with a slot 114 for reception of the upper edge of the base and which is further recited with a latch 116 adapted to fit within a recess or opening 118 in the base 28. This can be best seen in Figure 4.

As shown in Figures 6 through 8, an alternative arrangement for energizing the chime by means of a twisted device may be provided. In lieu of the push rod 20, a rotary driving strap is employed which is engageable with the lug-like portion 48 on the nozzle 50 and serves to rotate the toggle in lieu of the cam action by the rod 20. An operating lever 152 is secured to the rotary driving strap 150 and the entire arrangement is held in place by a mounting plate 154 held in place by suitable screws 156 to the opposite side of the door from the rest of the chime. It is to be recognized that the rest of the chime is otherwise identical with the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 through 5.

The thickness of the door is compensated by the size of the operating rod 20 or strap 150 which is either lengthened or cut-off as desired by the size of the door.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A door chime comprising a base, a mounting plate secured to said base, a toggle pivoted to said mounting plate and said base and positioned therebetween, a first spring engaging said toggle and said base for urging said The cover is secured on thetoggle to an initial position, a striker assembly pivoted to said mounting plate and said base, a compression spring terminally engaging said striker assembly and said toggle and establishing an elastic drive connection between said toggle and said assembly, a pair of tone bars supported on said'base on opposite sides of said striker assembly, and means for actuating said toggle.

2. A door chime comprising a base, a mounting plate secured to said base, a toggle pivoted to said mounting plate and said base and positioned therebetween, a first spring engaging said toggle and said base for urging said toggle to an initial position, a striker assembly pivoted to said mounting plate and said base, a compression spring terminally engaging said striker assembly and said toggle and establishing an elastic drive connection between said toggle and said assembly, a pair of tone bars supported on said base on opposite sides of said striker assembly, means for actuating said toggle, said mounting plate having a notch therein, said toggle having a lug extending through said notch for limiting movement of said toggle.

3. A door chime comprising a base, a mounting plate secured to said base, a toggle pivoted to said mounting plate and said base and positioned therebetween, a first spring engaging said toggle and said base for urging said toggle to an initial position, a striker assembly pivoted to said mounting plate and said base, a compression spring terminally engaging said striker assembly and said toggle and establishing an elastic drive connection between said toggle and said assembly, a pair of tone bars supported on said base on opposite sides of said striker assembly, means for actuating said toggle, said base having a pair of stops, said striker assembly engaging said stops.

4. A door chime comprising a base, a mounting plate secured to said base, a toggle pivoted to said mounting plate and said base and positioned therebetween, a first spring engaging said toggle and said base for urging said toggle to an initial position, a striker assembly pivoted to said mounting plate and said base, a compression spring terminally engaging said striker assembly and said toggle and establishing an elastic drive connection between said toggle and said assembly, a pair of tone bars supported on said base on opposite sides of said striker assembly, means for actuating said toggle, said means including a cam surface on said toggle, and a push button actuated rod engaging said cam surface.

5. A door chime comprising a base, a mounting plate secured to said base, a toggle pivoted to said mounting plate and said base and positioned therebetween, a first spring engaging said toggle and said base for urging said toggle to an initial position, a striker assembly pivoted to said mounting plate and said base, a compression spring terminally engaging said striker assembly and said toggle and establishing an elastic drive connection between said toggle and said assembly, a pair of tone bars supported on said base on opposite sides of said striker assembly, means for actuating said toggle, said means comprising a rotary driving strap engaging said toggle for pivoting said toggle.

6. A door chime comprising a base, a mounting plate secured to said base, a toggle pivoted to said mounting plate and said base and positioned therebetween, a first spring engaging said toggle and said base for urging said toggle to an initial position, a striker assembly pivoted to said mounting plate and said base, a compression spring terminally engaging said striker assembly and said toggle and establishing an elastic drive connection between said toggle and said assembly, a pair of tone bars supported on said base on opposite sides of said striker assembly, means for actuating said toggle, said means including a cam surface on said toggle, a push button actuated rod engaging said cam surface, said mounting plate having a notch therein, said toggle having a lug extending through said notch for limiting movement of said toggle.

7. A door chime comprising a base, a mounting plate secured to said base, a toggle pivoted to said mounting plate and said base and positioned therebetween, a first spring engaging said toggle and said base for urging said toggle to an initial position, a striker assembly pivoted to said mounting plate and said base, a compression spring terminally engaging said striker assembly and said toggle and establishing an elastic drive connection between said toggle and said assembly, a pair of tone bars supported on said base on opposite sides of said striker assembly, means for actuating said toggle, said means including a cam surface on said toggle, a push button actuated rod engaging said cam surface, said mounting plate having a notch therein, said toggle having a lug extending through said notch for limiting movement of said toggle, said base having a pair of stops, said striker assembly engaging said stops.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,472,372 Fish June 7, 1 949 

